| Re: Gelcoat pressure(?) indentation
[Re: sailwave]
#84135 09/06/06 01:21 PM 09/06/06 01:21 PM |
Joined: Jun 2001 Posts: 12,310 South Carolina Jake
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 12,310 South Carolina | You can fill it with a filler. Bondo brand filler is widely available in the US (used predominantly in the automotive industry) .. but they do make a marine version of it (although I'm not sure if the "marine" version actually has anything extra in it other than cost). The Bondo brand fillers are based on a polyester resin - so they work just great with gel coats. They even have a light weight version - thought I haven't used the light weight stuff for anything other than r/c boat repair. Basically you fill in the void with the bondo and sand it smooth (see the other thread about long boards). Spray gelcoat on top, sand, wetsand, polish, and buff and the indentation is gone. This was a nasty delaminated spot with a big rock dragging dent next to it - I had to reglass the delaminated spot and fill around it to get things smooth again. More during last March at http://www.teamseacats.com/2006/03/ not wetsanded yet:
Last edited by Jake; 09/06/06 01:23 PM.
| | | Re: Gelcoat pressure(?) indentation
[Re: Jake]
#84136 09/06/06 01:29 PM 09/06/06 01:29 PM |
Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 3,528 Looking for a Job, I got credi... scooby_simon Hull Flying, Snow Sliding.... |
Hull Flying, Snow Sliding....
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 3,528 Looking for a Job, I got credi... | Colin, I never noticed such marks on my Dart 18... This is because the A is built as a foam sandwich with carbon on each side of foam. The dar is just a layer of glass/epoxy/gelcoat to keep the water out. Give the side of a Dart a firm tap and it either moves and pops back, or breaks Give the side of a foam sandwich boat a firm tap (not suggesting you do) and you get a "dimple" as the foam compresses and then does not return to it's old shape. You can fill the bash you have with any filler, but make sure the area is very clean first and rough it up slightly so it sticks properly.
F16 - GBR 553 - SOLD I also talk sport here | | | Re: Gelcoat pressure(?) indentation
[Re: sailwave]
#84138 09/06/06 01:47 PM 09/06/06 01:47 PM |
Joined: Jun 2002 Posts: 1,658 Florida Suncoast, Dunedin Caus... catman
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,658 Florida Suncoast, Dunedin Caus... | Well first your going to need the exact color Gel.
Because the the area is so shallow I would try just building the area up by spraying Gel and then sanding. It could also be done by adding a thickener to the gel and spreading it over the area then sanding.
If you haven't done any repairs with Gelcoat this may not be a good place to start. You might want to pratice on something else first or have someone that knows do it and hopefully you could be there to gain some experience.
Have Fun
| | | Re: Gelcoat pressure(?) indentation
[Re: sailwave]
#84141 09/06/06 03:28 PM 09/06/06 03:28 PM |
Joined: Dec 2001 Posts: 5,590 Naples, FL waterbug_wpb
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 5,590 Naples, FL | Jake/Mike
What sprayer type and nozzle size are you using? I know you thin the gelcoat with some styrene, but how thick do you spray?
Jay
| | | Re: Gelcoat pressure(?) indentation
[Re: Eric Anderson]
#84146 09/06/06 08:54 PM 09/06/06 08:54 PM |
Joined: Jun 2001 Posts: 12,310 South Carolina Jake
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 12,310 South Carolina | First things first. Leave the dent alone if it is only .5 mm deep. Not worth fixing. A cats are lightly skinned boats, so they will surely dent if you smack em hard enough. as far as repairs go, I would not trust a normal fiberglass guy repairing them. Find out who repairs high tech dingys if you are going to do it. the gelcoat on an A is very thin and easy to sand through. If you want to try a repair, first try heating the area gently with a heat gun. You may sucessfully make the foam core pop back to the original thickness. I have made several dents disapear by doing this.
good luck, Eric Careful with the heat...the foam will melt too. I know I've been showing a lot of pictures lately - but I've been through a lot of headache with this stuff. I had previously been working in some cold weather (40F) and using a heat lamp to keep any glasswork warm. We got a warm snap the next day and I walked away and left the heat lamp on a fresh repair - it was too close given the warm sunshine and overheated the foam resulting in a much larger repair afterwards.
Jake Kohl | | | Re: Gelcoat pressure(?) indentation
[Re: Eric Anderson]
#84149 09/08/06 08:34 AM 09/08/06 08:34 AM |
Joined: Dec 2001 Posts: 5,590 Naples, FL waterbug_wpb
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 5,590 Naples, FL | Thanks for the tip, Mike. I've been sweating over that potential purchase for a while. I know there are different nozzle sizes, but I can fiddle with them to get the right one for each job size.
Most of my repairs have been small, not much more than dollar bill size. But, should I feel the need to "Pimp my Ride", a spray gun and/or airbrush gun may come in handy.
Jay
| | | Re: Gelcoat pressure(?) indentation
[Re: sailwave]
#84150 09/08/06 08:51 PM 09/08/06 08:51 PM |
Joined: Apr 2002 Posts: 805 Gainesville, FL 32607 USA dacarls
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 805 Gainesville, FL 32607 USA | I just used some polyester filler new to me- "New Bondo"- which is UV activated! No MEK eroxide catalyst needed. It goes off really quick`in the sun- like 5 minutes. Useful for the beach? And no diatomaceous earth in it anymore- apparently just fumed silica gel. Just a quick swipe, and its in place- one hopes, because it starts getting lumpy right away.
Dacarls: A-class USA 196, USA 21, H18, H16 "Nothing that's any good works by itself. You got to make the damn thing work"- Thomas Edison
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